THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED FOR THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL – FEBRUARY 3rd 2019 LIII!!! PATS ARE IN IT…YET AGAIN!

Since I have been watching professional sports from the time I was Ten in 1991, I have been a witness to many sports dynasties. As time goes on, I better appreciate how remarkable they truly are and were. Of course, dynasties in sports come and go just like any cycle. Let’s go back to *my earliest memories of +Championship dynasties (from the date they last won the title in that era).

*Of course, there were dynasties before my time, even in my lifetime. But, since I was not following the dynasties of the 1980s, nor was I aware of them until later I can’t count them. But, if you really want to look them up yourselves, the four that come to mind for me from the 80s are the Larry Bird lead Boston Celtics, the Magic Johnson lead LA Lakers, Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers and the Joe Montana lead 49ers.

+Also for the record I’m not counting individual sports like Tennis or Golf, although my cap’s off to Federer and Serena for their continued dominance in Tennis as well as Tiger for what he did for the sport of Golf before his life became a train wreck. Also, I’m not mentioning Hockey either, as that is not my forte. I might mention one or two college teams, but that is hard to do as college players are so transient, it’s more about a Coach in college than a collection of players (on a consistent basis that is).

I could not stand the Cowboys! They beat every team I liked. I really liked the Steve Young lead 49ers, and it wasn’t until Jerry Jones foolishly ended Jimmy Johnson’s’ reign as Head Coach that the Niners were able to finally beat them (The 94 Season). But the Cowboys still had one more Super Bowl Title in them. Being a NY Born and bred guy, I was a Giants fan, and I still remember being in an airport the day that Emmitt Smith single-handedly beat the Giants on the last day of the regular season (with a separated shoulder no less http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-top-ten/09000d5d80498dcd/Top-Ten-Weather-Games-1975-AFC-Championship ) to clinch the top seed and sully Lawrence Taylor’s final season in the NFL. That and the Cowboys always beat the Randall Cunningham lead Eagles (a Team I had a fondness for having family from Philly). Repeat, I could not stand the Cowboys!

The Chicago Bulls! 6 Titles in 8 years 1991,1992,1993,1996,1997,1998.

Basketball is and forever will be my favorite professional sport to follow. In fact, I came of age on the Chicago Bulls. Even though (as a Knicks fan) they always broke my heart, my fondness of the Bulls was always strong. One of my all-time favorite books by the late great David Halberstam was “Playing for Keeps” primarily based on the 1997-98 Bulls Season (their last title season) https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Keeps-Michael-Jordan-World/dp/0767904443 . One of my all-time favorite sports articles was Bill Simmons piece on Scottie Pippen “The other 33” http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/041101 . I have read countless other tabloid-like books on Michael Jordan and the Bulls (as well as Phil Jackson too). I won’t go into more details on this dynasty, but just know that there is good reason MJ is still considered the undisputed GOAT! There’s also reason to believe once Phil Jackson finally gets the stench off him as a failed Knicks GM, that history will again primarily remember him as an all-time great coach!

The NY Yankees 4 titles in 5 years! 1996,1998,1999,2000.

I was never a big baseball guy, but I too was growing tired of always seeing the Yankees continuously winning. I even remember towards the summer time of the Yankees last title of this run (June 2000), I asked my parents’ family friend and carpenter Manny if he ever got tired of the Yankees winning all the time. Now, Manny was this Brooklyn born Italian dude with the personality of all things wholesome and NY, and he said “Josh, I wish the Yankees won every friggin game”. I was what, 18, (half a life-time ago now) so, what did I know about good things coming to an end? Manny surely did. It was a valuable lesson I still remember to this day.

LA Lakers 3 straight titles 2000, 2001, 2002.

Oh, what could have been!? ShaQobe* was such an awesome on-two punch. Why they couldn’t win titles before Phil Jackson got there was maddening. Why they ended in such acrimony was fascinating. Here too I have read more than my share of tabloid-like books on these cast of characters as well. Few people outside of die-hard NBA fans remember this, but the Lakers were gift wrapped Game 6 of the WCF in 2002 vs the Kings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjRcTiwVEwo . That match-up between those two teams was the real Finals that year. (I wrote about that series, here as well https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/06/02/mj-or-lebron-lebron-or-mj-also-2017-finals-predictions/ ). That and, it’s still amazing to me that the Blazers blew a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter of that Game 7 in the 2000 WCF. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLyHKhpYLmU Wow! For a dynastic team such as these dysfunctional Lakers, they sure seemed lucky. But, oh well…what could have been. (*Shaq and Kobe’s name combined makes SHAQOBE).

The San Antonio Spurs 5 Titles in 15 years;winning at least 1 title in each of the last 3 decades with Tim Duncan as their corner-stone player, and the legendary Gregg Popovich as thee head Coach. 1999, 2003,2005,2007, 2014.

When I think of the legendary British Soccer Club, Manchester United of the Premiere League, I think of the Spurs as the American counter-parts to what Man U has been able to accomplish over a period of such long and sustained success. Granted MAN U has been in existence for 140 years now, but I still think of the Spurs as representing a certain level of sustained success in the past 20* years that I have not seen in any other Basketball team in the NBA or any other American Sports Franchise for that matter https://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/winningest-franchises-pro-sports.html/?a=viewall. (*This article referenced here goes back 30+ years). Just note that Tim Duncan probably will go down in history as the most unheralded Top 10 Greatest basketball player ever. Here’s a great SI piece on Duncan to give you a better look at his career. https://www.si.com/nba/2016/07/11/tim-duncan-retires-spurs-gregg-popovich-tim-duncan-manu-ginobili. Also, to get a glimpse of what it’s like to chill on a couch with Duncan, here is this podcast episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iWA1Shnn8o (which will at least give you some kind of look under the hood ). As for Pop, there have been several people looking to recruit Pop to run for POTUS in 2020. All joking aside for celebrity picks for President, as I think this country should go back to boring ass politicians ASAP (thanks for scarring us for life Trump), I do find the idea of Pop as POTUS at least somewhat romantic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cbtvzh8Voo

The Dynasties that are currently still building on their Legacies

Golden State Warriors…Nah! too early to put them here (BTW the last team I’m going to mention for this post, if you told me I’d have to accept them winning the next two titles and in return the Warriors don’t win the title this year…hmm…I’d strongly consider it).

Alabama Crimson Tide. 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 Champions.

*Nick Saban is one of the greatest football coaches, ever! According to Colin Cowherd, Alabama’s last championship victory (just a few weeks ago) was his greatest coaching job, ever! https://www.seccountry.com/alabama/colin-cowherd-nick-saban-georgia-thought-best-coaching-effort-time . This team has been a perennial title contender every single year Saban has been there. They finished what #5 in 2013 (just missing the first ever 4 team playoff) #3 in 2014 and #2 in 2016? Just a remarkable run of continued excellence incredible. If any of my readers can suggest one biography written about him I should read, please tell me as I know there are two prominent ones out there, (among others), yet I just want to sink my teeth into one of them for the time being.

*I’m not going to mention any other college teams. People could possibly make the case for Duke and Coach K, but the college basketball culture of 1 and done, that and the fact that there is only so much talent to go around in college basketball relative to college football, causes me to exclude college ball from this list too.

Whatever Team LEBRON JAMES is playing on;8 Finals appearances in 11 years, 2007, and then 7 straight trips to the Finals 2011,2012,2013,2014,2015, 2016, 2017, 3 Championships 2012,2013,2016.

Personally, I was one that used to get frustrated at the Pats continued dominance. Now, I’m just sitting back and enjoying it. Not only does it bolster Eli Manning (aside from the two Super Bowl MVPs, he’s had a pedestrian NFL career) and the Giants, but I recognize how hard this is to do. Granted, I have a lot of family in Philly, but seriously this Eagles team is a fluke team with their back-up QB. If it was Wentz in there, I might be more excited about the Eagles, but I really do not feel any type of spiritual or emotional connection to this Eagles squad. Therefore, I’m going to call it and say that the Pats are going to win this thing 24-17, that and I think Bill Bellichick is going to retire after this season. (SO SUCK IT PATS FANS!! BRADY AINT GONNA WIN SH*T AGAIN!) LOL! I love Sports.

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]]>https://joshoffthepress.com/2018/02/04/the-privilege-of-american-sports-dynasties/feed/0belichick brady deep photojoshoffthepressCowboys DynastyThe infamous flu gameYankees 1998 WS Champion PhotoShaqobeDuncan and Pop cornerstones of the Spurs DynastyCurry and Durant the next dynasty maybeNick Saban ChampionLeBron James CHAMPIONheading for a divorceMJ or LeBron, LeBron or MJ? (Also 2017 Finals Predictions)https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/06/02/mj-or-lebron-lebron-or-mj-also-2017-finals-predictions/
https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/06/02/mj-or-lebron-lebron-or-mj-also-2017-finals-predictions/#commentsFri, 02 Jun 2017 02:54:57 +0000http://joshoffthepress.com/?p=789Continue reading →]]>LeBron James has been under a microscope for the past 16 years. 14 Years in the NBA and for two years in High School, ESPN has been up LeBron’s butt. When I see old footage of LeBron even from 2009, I’m amazed at how young he was. I have had the privilege to witness his whole career and to know there will be a kick-ass finals every June for the past 7 Junes thanks to him. I have been watching the NBA since the *1991-92 Season*, and in fact, I have been blessed to have been a witness to now going on 10 straight finals which I viewed as must see TV, since I have always been a Kobe Bryant fan, too, and Kobe lead the Lakers to the Finals in 08,09, and 2010. And guess who was in the Finals in 07? That’s right! Young LeBron. Although, 07 Finals btw – was my least favorite Finals since 1995 when Hakeem Olajuwon and Houston swept Orlando with Young Shaq and Penny. Go figure that my two least favorite Finals since I have been watching them in 92, have been the two that have ended in *Sweeps.

(*Editor’s Note –>there were actually 3 finals Sweeps since 1992; I totally forgot about the 2002 poo-poo platter where the Lakers demolished the NJ Nets in 4 games. I actually don’t count this series as low as the other two for the mere fact that nobody had any expectations of this series. This is also due in part to the fact that the 2002 WCF between the Lakers and Kings was the de-facto finals series. It really was such an epic series, even though the Kings were totally jobbed out of that Series. Just watch this video of the crucial Game 6 breakdown to see. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjRcTiwVEwo )

Anyhow, let us go back to the 91-92 NBA Season. I was 10, and Michael Jordan just came off of winning his first title. The Dream Team was being formed, Magic Johnson just retired from the League for contracting the HIV Virus. Larry Bird was still in the league! The Knicks were led by Pat Riley and Patrick Ewing! Charles Barkley was still on the 76ers, and the Utah Jazz were already going on for years with the “Stockton to Malone” Pick N Roll! Like, I really picked a golden age to start following basketball. Even College Basketball was fantastic then, with Duke on the verge of winning their 2nd straight title! I mean who can forget the most iconic shot in college history!? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo3G2MfOYeA

I’m not going to go into the nitty gritty details about why one is more worthy of a basketball player than the other, but I will say that I was 10 years old and in 4th grade, and we all wanted to “Be Like Mike” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0AGiq9j_Ak . All of us! And Basketball ruled. We all shot hoops and we all said we wanted to go to the NBA. During LeBron’s time, there have been other players more popular. A lot of people preferred Kobe Bryant (as I mentioned before). Michael Jordan was the guy!

I look at his Championships and every single one of them seemed pre-ordained. Well, except this one! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqt85FXv5Zg. The 1993 Series was the wildest Finals I can ever remember watching! Far and away!

In fact if I were to rank my favorite Finals Series from 1992 on I’d rank them like this:

1st place – 1993 Bulls v. Suns (Bulls won in 6, winning all 3 of their Road games and only 1 of 3 home games…like I said, weird series)

2nd place – 2013 Heat v. Spurs (just a hard fought 7 Games series with 2 incredible games at the end)

3rd place – 1998 Bulls V. Jazz (Michael Jordan’s last shining moment)

4th place – 1997- Bulls V. Jazz (Flu Game all day every day)

5th Place – 2016 – Cavs v. Warriors (Maybe it should be higher, but honestly – aside from Game 7, no game was close)

What do all the series and games have in common? They all have Michael Jordan or LeBron James in them, with the exception of the 2010 series which has Kobe Bryant featured and two of the most historic franchises in the league. But, truthfully 1993 was I believe the most challenging of all of MJs 6 titles. They were fortunate to take the Knicks in 6 Games, thanks in large part to this sequence of plays in Game 5 that all but decided the series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRFKhpMKX0E

Bill Simmons actually even spoke about it as well with Chuck Klosterman, on his recent podcast. Check it at he 1:09:47 mark. (MJ’s first retirement is actually one of Bill Simmons’ favorite conspiracies) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E28MkU8mBY4

It’s really funny that to a casual outside observer, Michael Jordan is considered to be the better guy. That LeBron still has not live down The Decision – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTeCc8jy7FI. Yet, Michael was able to avoid the 24/7 glare of the media b/c he came of age before the internet. And this is where it’s hard to compare generational players! But, maybe not so much. LeBron could not have done what he did if not for Jordan. LeBron saw what to do, but did it smarter and better.

Yet, LeBron never vanquished his opponents. How he’s only been favored in 2 out of 7 Finals is insane!

Michael Jordan and his Bulls were favored in every single one of his Finals appearances. If you go to the fivethirtyeight link above, it will say the Bulls actually should have only won 4 titles. Not sure when they were under-dogs, could not find anything conclusive on it.

If LeBron wins his coveted 4th Title against this Talented (more talented than the last two years) Warriors Team – I will put LeBron as 1B to MJs 1A. Right now, I see LeBron as the clear #2. At the end of last year’s Title Run I vacillated with LeBron being 3rd or 4th, having him behind MJ and Bill Russell, and right there with Kareem. Given LeBron’s remarkable regular season and even more magnificent playoff run I see him as the #2 guy.

Speaking of which here is my list of TOP 26 NBA Players, ever.

1-Michael Jordan

2- LeBron James

3- Bill Russell

4- Kareem Abdul Jabbar

5- Magic Johnson

6- Larry Bird

7 – Tim Duncan

8- Wilt Chamberlain

9- Kobe Bryant

10 – Jerry West

11- Oscar Robertson

12 – Shaquille O’Neal

13 – Hakeem Olajuwon

14 – Moses Malone

15 – John Havelichik

16 – Elgin Baylor

17 – Dr. J

18 – Bob Pettit

19 – Kevin Garnett

20 – Karl Malone

21 –Charles Barkley Barkley

22- Dirk Nowitzki

23-Isiah Thomas

24 – Scottie Pippen

25- John Stockton

26 – Dwyane Wade

(Lurking, and soon to be in the Top 25, if not “Higher” – Steph Curry and Kevin Durant)

For LeBron to beat Two Top 25 guys (future Top 25 Guys at least) in the Championship Series this year, two guys he already beat in separate finals mind you, would be impressive! But, I still can’t shake the fact that MJ winning the title seemed pre-ordained; his last 3 seasons at least!

LeBron has only once gone into a Season as the Defending Champion where it seemed like they were destined to win the Title that year, and that was 2012-13, and truthfully if not for Ray Allen, he wouldn’t have gotten another one, then!

When I think of comparing great athletes in other sports, some names come off the top of my head. When thinking of the greatest Tennis Players ever, right away I think of Serena Williams and Roger Feder. Two players still active and winning tournaments today. For these two are the best, and I don’t question this. Soccer, I honestly don’t know. But, I’m sure people can make really good arguments for a lot of different people. Hockey! I think Wayne Gretzky is the greatest. You can’t dissuade me from this one. And I think most die-hard hockey fans would agree. Football. Well, there are so many positions, hard to say. I’d argue that Jerry Rice is the greatest Wide Receiver ever, even though Randy Moss was probably the most talented one ever. I’d say indisputably that Lawrence Taylor is the greatest outside linebacker ever. So great in fact that the offensive left tackle is now one of the highest paid positions in football. (Michael Lewis’ Book “The Blind Side” captured this really well, and while the movie was entertaining…it did not capture this premise as well). But, for football we think QB, before anything else. The raging Debate is Tom Brady or Joe Montana. I’d give it to Brady, however I have no emotional attachment to Montana as he was essentially just before my time. And no, I don’t like Brady either, but I still am comfortable calling him the GOAT of all QBs.

The best analogy of Greatest Basketball Players and comparing them along generational lines, I would say is to Baseball players. There obviously are some differences, as Baseball is such a numbers driven league. Basketball is influenced by numbers as well, obviously! But there is more to it. When I think of the comparison between LeBron and MJ it makes me think of Babe Ruth and Willy Mays. Now, here me out on this one. Babe Ruth to this day is still the face of Baseball. Yet, for everything I heard and read and saw of highlights – Willy Mays was the greatest and mot complete baseball player ever. And to that, what I will say is – there would be no Mays if not for Ruth.

Now, there would be no LeBron if not for Michael Jordan. As Jordan set the blue-print for all these guys to market themselves as a brand, and to do lots of thing. The fact that Michael Jordan is not only the first basketball player to be a billionaire but the first athlete, WOW! http://www.cnbc.com/id/32798277. LeBron might very well be a billionaire in a quicker period of time than it took Jordan, but LeBron followed Michael’s footsteps. The guy wears Michael’s number.

You just can’t dispute it!

I leave it at this for now, since history is still being written! Also, as I mentioned I have LeBron as a clear #2 on my list behind Michael Jordan. If he does win his 4th title this year, I will happily move him up to 1B behind Jordan. Obviously that means he’s still #2. But, still, as LeBron continues to build up his resume, the argument that MJ is/was better does get fainter and fainter. I’m just not ready to relinquish it yet, even if for sentimental reasons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3zZ2OUVgPQ

BTW – here is my Pick for the Cavs V. Warriors Part III.

I like the Cavs in 7

I think the Basketball Gods want to give these Warriors some Adversity, much like they did with the 2010-2011 Heat. That, and LeBron is not just playing to catch up with Jordan on Championships or reaching basketball greatness, but it’s about the Mythology of LeBron! That’s the story that resonates with me, and even if this is the sentimental pick, I don’t care! Plus I really do think the Cavs are going to get it done!

1st seed and Western Conference Champion -Golden State Warriors Win in 6 Games (4-2) over the 3rd Seed and Eastern Conference Champion – Toronto Raptors

2016-17 NBA Champions, Golden State Warriors

FINALS MVP: Steph Curry

For the record, I’m more confident in my Bulls pick over the Celtics than I am in my Raptors pick over the Cavs. That is for sure. The Cavs are still the Defending Champions, and until they get knocked off their perch, they still are the favorites to go to the Finals. But, the thing is they look too much to me like the 2010-11 Lakers. The Lakers team that already made it to 3 straight finals and had two titles, and got swept out of Round 2 of the playoffs by the eventual Champion, Dallas Mavericks.

The other thing is, I just don’t see anyone beating the Warriors. I think they are too good and too battle tested. And as much as I want to see a Cavs v. Warriors Finals Rubber-match; part of me would rather avoid the agony of it, because I’d be too much emotionally invested in that series wanting to see the Cavs win it all. If it’s Warriors vs. the Raptors or anyone else but the Cavs, I will still watch the Finals, just more casually. Part of me would almost prefer that. Yet, a Cavs v. Warriors Rubber Match is incredibly enticing.

The bottom line is, my heart wants the Cavs to win the Title very badly. This will give LeBron his 4th ring, and to put him 4-4 in Finals appearances and will unquestionably put him in the conversation of whether he can surpass Michael Jordan as the GOAT. Ever since Title #3, the conversation has gotten more serious, but I as do many other still question the merits of it.

But that talk is all fantasy talk, because my head says The Warriors are going to run away with this thing in a cake walk. Like it won’t even be close. That 73 win team from last year, I believed was way more vulnerable than this one that won 67 Games this year. The Warriors remind me of what the Lakers did in 2001 with their fearsome Shaq/Kobe combo at its apex, finishing the regular season very strong and going into the playoffs riding super high. And the Cavs are going into the playoffs like the poo-poo platter. After starting the season 28-8 with 778% winning percentage. The Cavs have been so bad since then they went 23-23 the rest of the way to finish 51-31 with a 622% winning percentage.

That’s quite a drop-off! Of course based on how I filled my bracket and the way I speak of the Warriors glowingly now, this all means I actually am picking all of their series (but one) to be much longer than they will really be. And I get that’s wishful thinking, but I am not so foolish as to pick against them, even if I will be happy if they lose!

This is an All-NBA Column, focusing mostly on who should win MVP. I cover 10 guys and make a case for their MVP and against their MVP (it is numbered in descending order, not necessarily based on how I’d rank them, but rather based on flow and ease of reading). One dis-qualifier I have in MVP talks is that your Team needs to have made the playoffs, hence why *Anthony Davis “The Brow” isn’t getting the love with an MVP blurb from me, even though I think “The Brow” is one of the 5 or best 6 players in the League right now.

Anyhow, Enjoy!

II. THE CASE FOR A PLAYER ON THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

10-Kevin Durant, 6’9* Forward Golden State Warriors, 10th year in the league (overall player ranking between 2-5) *(listed as 6’9 but really 6’11 or 7’0)

The Case for KD: The best player on the best team with tremendous all around numbers!

Ultimate Disqualification – Kevin Durant missed too many games a total of 20 due to injury and there are at least 4 guys that unequivocally had better seasons than him, thanks in no small part to his recent injury. Plus there are another 7-8 players who were more productive over-all thanks to them being healthy throughout the season; 2 of whom are on his current team IE- Draymond Green and Steph Curry. I don’t count Klay Thompson, here. While he has had a very nice season (again), I just don’t even remotely consider him in MVP Talks.

9-Draymond Green, 6’7 Forward Golden State Warriors, 5th year in the league (overall player ranking between 12-20)

The Case for & against Draymond: A glue guy who probably will get a first place vote because enough sports journalists are that arrogant and think that highly of themselves that this would actually be a good idea. Not that it is a bad idea, just there are clearly 4 candidates that stand out head and shoulders above the rest.

8-Steph Curry, 6’3 Guard Golden State Warriors 8th year in the league (overall player ranking between 3-7)

Season Stats for Steph: 79 out of 82 games played; 25 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2 steals per game. 41% on 3pt shooting (a dip from 45% in 15-16 and 44% in 14-15)

The case for Steph: He’s still the reigning two time MVP.

Ultimate Disqualification: Can you now say 2nd best player on your own team and 3rd best Guard in the league? Not even good enough to make the 1st All NBA Team. Even if you went to a Top-5 best players format (regardless of position), he’d still only come in 6th or 7th place on that list this Season.

The Case for the Greek Freak: Giannis will more than likely get a first place vote, hence why I will include him, even though I don’t see how he is more worthy of MVP than my Top 4 Selections. The case against him: Other than 4 other players definitely are having better seasons than him (5 if you include *Anthony Davis)

You could make a stronger case for other players who are on teams that won more games as well. Granted, I know that there is more competitive parity in the league this year than it has been in a while, but your team only won 42 games finishing tied for 13th place in the League (in a 30 team league) that just doesn’t cut it.

6-Isaiah Thomas, 5’9 Guard, Boston Celtics, 6th year in the league (overall player ranking between 10-20)

Season Stats: 76 out of 82 games played; 29 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal per game, 44% shooting percentage, all 5’9 of him (among the shortest players in NBA history).

The Case for Isiah Thomas: Sorry, even though he’s the best player on the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference, I don’t believe in considering a player for MVP that is all offense, and a total 100% defensive liability. (There have been other MVP Candidates that are defensive liabilities, none as bad as Thomas, though).

The Case for Chris Paul: On paper Chris Paul has been one of best point guards the league has ever seen. Why he won’t – he missed too many games (21 total), there are other guys having better seasons than him & he has too much of a reputation for being a major d**k! Ultimate disqualification – Chris Paul might not even make the 3rd Team All NBA. There are that many good guards in the League now, that you could probably make 3 All NBA Teams for Guards and still leave some amazing players off.

NOTABLE GUARDS WHO MIGHT NOT BE RECOGNIZED AS ALL NBA THIS YEAR

Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson some of these guards might even get some MVP Votes, even if they aren’t garnering first place MVP Votes. And you can rank each one of these guys somewhere between 12-25, no bums here.

OTHER CUTE PICKS/NON-GUARDS – I could see people voting for (even if they too aren’t garnering first place votes) Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert, Gordon Hayward and DeAndre Jordan. The only locks I see to make an ALL NBA Team among these 4 studs is Anthony Davis & Rudy Gobert

IV. TOP 4 MVP PICKS (are all 4 really worthy of this award?)

4- Kawhi Leonard, 6’7 Forward San Antonio Spurs 6th year in the league (player ranking between 2-6)

The case for Kawhi Leonard: The best player on the second best team. A team that has won 61 games, yet has only Kawhi as there All-Star! Not only that, but he is the epitome of a two way player. The first or 2nd best perimeter defender in the league, and is #10 in Scoring in the League averaging 25ppg (1 spot ahead of last year’s scoring champion, Steph Curry). If you were to make an argument for best player on best team (given the Warriors don’t have anybody that quite qualifies for MVP this year) than by default you’d give it to Kawhi

The case against Kawhi: There really isn’t one that is all that great, other than the narrative of putting Westbrook and Harden neck and neck (being former teammates on OKC) is oh-so much more compelling. That and Kawhi is still young, and people probably think he’s got time to get this award. In fact Kawhi reminds me of the mid to late 90s Utah Jazz teams, where the fans that loved their game were all about textbook basketball. If you loved the Jazz when they made those finals runs, you probably think Kawhi should win MVP.

The Case for LeBron James: He is still the best player in the league. An all-timer, depending on your list he’s anywhere from one of the 3 greatest ever, to 5 greatest ever, and at least Top 10 ever. How can you not respect the GOAT of this era? On track for making 10 straight All NBA first Teams, and 11 first teams in a 14 year career so far, and 2 other second teams. Just wow! This has been his league since he jumped in. He has been the GOAT since 09 (sharing it with Kobe at first) and no-one can hold a candle to him. Dude made 6 straight finals, and is favored to lead his team to a 7th straight one. If that does happen, he will have been in 8 finals in 14 years. Meaning he’d be in the Finals nearly 60% of the time throughout his career. Amazing!

The Case against LeBron: His team nearly imploded in March, has had two really bad losses to the Hawks just last weekend, and now he is again taking Games off. A month ago I’d tell you LeBron was my MVP, but March really went that poorly for the Cavs. So bad in fact, that I no longer think it’s a forgone conclusion that the Cavs make the Finals this year for a rubber match against the Warriors.

The Case for Harden: A team projected to only win 41 games, has finished the season with 55 Wins. The third best record in the league lead by the Beard himself. Eye Popping, tremendous numbers. If he does in fact win the MVP I will have 0 qualms about it, b/c he is totally deserving. Not only that but many people believe it’s the Rockets that have the best shot at toppling the Warriors to get into the Finals (not the Spurs or anyone else). I can see people that are sticklers for the rule, if your team is not contending for a Title, then you can’t be an MVP pick, and by default flocking to Harden, but still.

The case against him: Unfortunately, I am a sucker for the best narrative and this season I will remember as the Season that Durant dipped out on the Thunder and this is why I’m picking this guy—>

1- RUSSELL WESTBROOK! 6’3 Guard, OKC Thunder, 9th year in the league (player ranking between 2-5)

Season Stats: 32.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists, 1.6 steals, .4 blocks, 42% shooting percentage. Averaged double digits in points, rebounds and assists, also known as a triple double. Had a record 42 triple doubles in one season.

The Case for Russell Westbrook: My pick for MVP went absolutely bonkers playing out of his mind, and quite frankly became the most exciting player to watch in the league. I am disappointing I didn’t go see him live when he came to NY or BK. B/c it would have been incredible. After saying just 3-4 weeks ago that I would not pick Westbrook, I am changing my mind and going with him. Triple-doubles aside, the dude brings it every single game. He has had a remarkable conclusion to this season, and one of the most important/underrated factors I see is that most of the players in the league, if they had a vote – would vote for Westbrook.

The case against him: This season was a bit reminiscent to me of Kobe’s 05-06 season (the season in which Kobe Scored 81 points in a game), one in which I said many times that Kobe absolutely should have won the MVP that year. https://www.si.com/nba/2016/01/22/kobe-bryant-los-angeles-lakers-retiring-81-point-game-anniversary . The parallels, are that Westbrook is the end all be all for that team, which in some ways isn’t always that good. Thunder are a stronger team than you’d initially think. They were projected to win 44 games and they ended up with 47.

Then again they could have been much worse, they did after-all lose their former MVP Player in Kevin Durant to free-agency this last off-season. Just what sways me the most is not only is recent heroic performances the last couple of weeks, but just how so many retired stars are pulling for him hard. And his teammates clearly love him. I don’t know if I see that same type of love Harden’s teammates have for him. These things matter to me. But then again, based on everything I wrote, logic would say that either Harden or Kawhi should win the MVP. But, Sports fans aren’t logical we are emotional, and I have seen few players connect with fans on an emotional level the way Westbrook has this season.

Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) – Draymond Green, (Golden State Warriors)

Runner Up for DPOY: Rudy Gobert, 7’0 Center Utah Jazz, 4th year in the League (Top 15-20 player) Season Stats: 14 points, 13 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, .6 steals, 1.2 assists; the anchor of the under-rated and unsung 51-31 Utah Jazz (tied for 5th best record in the League)

Coach of the Year – Gregg Popovich aka Pop (San Antonio Spurs). There are a number of good choices here, but Pop is a bonafide Wizard. Losing Tim Duncan to retirement and replacing him with Pau Gasol and only dropping 6 additional games the following season going from 67Ws to 61Ws with the same crew of geriatrics and only one super-star/all-star in Kawhi Leonard

Executive of the year – Bob Myers of the Golden State Warriors. Whoever was so fortunate to sign Durant this past off-season was going to win this award.

Player I’m most excited to see enter the league (just so long as he doesn’t join the Knicks): LONZO BALL of UCLA. Can’t wait for his dad LaVar Ball to stir up more shit and create more drama. Just don’t need it in NY. Dolan does enough picking fights with Knicks legends like Charles Oakley!

Even Sir. Charles Barkley knows there’s going to be some fire-works happening next season thanks to this Father & Son Combo!

Please refer to this post as a reference guide/menu of options to look from in regards to podcast listening. This can be read non-linearly where you can skip around. For the purposes of expecting some of my readers to want to only read a few sections exclusively, I have posted some of the same links on more than one occasion in different sections of this post. Of course if you want the full value of this piece, then I’d suggest you to read from start to finish. However you may choose to read this post, please enjoy and feel free to give feedback on what you found to be of most value to you and what you thought could have been improved upon.

I started listening to podcasts in 2007 – Bill Simmons (when he was still with ESPN) was the first podcaster that I was really into. Over time my interest in podcasts ebbed and flowed, yet by the time my daughter was born three years ago (spring 2014) I have become an avid podcast listener. I got heavily into podcasts as it was the easiest form of entertainment consumption/reading replacement especially when I went on extra-long walks with my kid or those extended car rides to and from work. My favorite podcasts have become personal development (“Tim Ferriss” is one of my MMVPs), politics, sports, and various podcast series. As I am always sharing various podcasts with people, and suggesting episodes for people to listen to, I was inspired to write this blog post as a reference point for various podcasts I like and often suggest and share with others.

*Bonus– Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History http://revisionisthistory.com/ (Full review & other links under podcast series Section VIII). This is a Seasonal Podcast, and there’s only been one-season so far.

1st The Oprah of Audio – http://tim.blog/podcast/ “The Tim Ferriss Show” is amazing! It is so relevant to everyday life his whole purpose in doing the podcast is to make it live on forever in his archives. This is different than many other podcasters who are topical and whose older shows, get dated rather quickly! Not only that, but Ferriss has notes for every single one of his episodes. There are links to everything covered (I wish more podcasters did this!!!) When I listen to TF, I always feel like I’m guzzling a protein shake, where I get so much great information that is applicable to my life. I am someone who loves smoothies and shakes, but when I over-do it on TF, it just becomes too much. I notice myself listening to 2-3 of his episodes exclusively (which often comes to 6-7 hours of audio listening) and then I realize I’m neglecting all the other amazing audio-content and I take a break from him only to come back for more. I realize that Tim Ferriss has designed his Podcast in such a way where he is deliberately making it that most of his listeners are never fully caught up with ALL OF HIS EPISODES. Refer to Sections III,IV, XIII & XIV for my favorite Tim Ferriss episodes; guests mentioned in this post are Jaime Fox ( http://tim.blog/2015/12/06/jamie-foxx/ this one is a great place to start!), Sebastian Junger, Naval Ravikant, Jane McGonigal, Cal Fussman, Jocko Willink & Ezra Klein.

2nd “The Podfather” https://soundcloud.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast “Bill Simmons Podcast on the Ringer” known as “The Podfather”, a term of endearment coined by Jalen Rose. (For more on Jalen refer to Section X “Sports Podcasts). The unintended benefit of Bill Simmons HBO show not even lasting one season, is the fact that his Podcast has dramatically improved back to the time when he was getting A+ guests during his ESPN days. Most of his episodes are more topical as they relate to sports or current pop-culture. But, he’s just got a great flow, a great sense of humor and his episodes rarely go over an hour. And if they do, he breaks down his show in segments knowing some people will only go to certain parts. However, the draw back to a current events podcast like Simmons is, that his episodes get dated rather quickly sometimes. I still love it as it’ not too heavy, but his podcasts are not timeless quite like other ones I am referencing in this piece. My favorite Bill Simmons episode is – https://soundcloud.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/ep-174-kevin-durant, (also referenced in Sections III & XIII.)

VI. Great Long form interviewers I wish I had more time to listen to

Joe Rogan http://podcasts.joerogan.net/ – dude is everywhere! He’s a comedian an MMA guy and like an all-around chill dude. I like that he has no pretense. He’s kind of an antidote to Tim Ferriss, where Ferriss likes everything to be dissected and synthesized, Rogan comes across to me as “I’m just going to f*ing do this and have fun. (Refer to Sections IV & XIV for more detailed analyses of my favorite episodes by Joe Rogan – http://podbay.fm/show/360084272/e/1476411225?autostart=1).

James Altucher http://www.jamesaltucher.com/category/the-james-altucher-show/ – aside from him getting an occasional a**-hat, and Trump boot-licker like Ken Kurson from the New York Observer (a paper that is ran by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner), I do have to say that Altucher does an amazing job of getting a diverse mix of guests with very diverse backgrounds. Folks like former Congressman and Presidential Candidate Ron Paul, to Neil Strauss famous author of “The Game”, as well Daymond John of Shark Tank, along with world famous Producer Russell Simmons. As well as guests like the late great Wayne Dyer and Tim Ferriss. Altucher is fearless in asking questions and not being afraid to come off as ignorant. Rogan and Ferriss, two of the best long-form podcasts around – have too much of the “alpha-male” thing going on to lower their ego and be as child-like in their question asking the way Altucher is.

Tony Robbins Podcast https://www.tonyrobbins.com/podcast/ – It’s not as regularly recorded as the ones listed above, nor is it the end product for Tony Robbins (or even a feature product for him for that matter), but its Tony friggin Robbins! His podcast is a bit more focused on people’s “WHY” than the others listed above. He was a guest on Tim Ferriss’s show 3x and each one of those episodes were AWESOME! Robbins has dove head first into financial coaching and has a new podcast “Unshakeable” that I have subscribed to, and plan to give a listen in the not so distant future. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/unshakeable-by-tony-robbins/id1207627404?mt=2. (The “Unshakeable episodes can also be found on the Tony Robbins site is referenced above).

Jocko Willink http://jockopodcast2.com/. This one I feel really remiss on missing out on. He’s a military guy to a “T”, almost comically so. But, he’s got a certain confidence, discipline and self-belief that I can’t help but admire. Some people label Willink a Conservative, and in the limited sense of the word he is, but more out of the ‘military mold’ than the ‘Christian fanatical mold’, or the ‘Trump F**k-Boy mold’. He believed in the Iraq War, and still does, and he is a believer in protecting and defending the Constitution of the USA at all costs. I need to get deeper into his episodes, as when I see new ones uploaded his topics look fascinating. Jocko was a guest on Tim Ferriss Podcast twice, and it was through rave reviews on TF’s show (among others) that Willink decided to start his own podcast. (Refer to Sections IV & XIII for analyses of this Jocko episode http://jockopodcast2.com/2016/11/23/50-with-tim-ferriss-darkness-how-to-stay-on-the-path-last-days-of-life-what-to-do-back-up-plans-misconceptions/).

VII. Personal Friends who are avid Podcasters

Matthew McQueeny’s “Mix-Minus Podcast” http://www.matthewmcqueeny.com/ is truly a remarkable work of creative passion and quiet genius that I cannot say enough about him and the remarkable episodes he churns out on a weekly basis. Where his basement is his own studio/an extra room for his kid to play. Matt has had some outstanding guests on his show such as Nunyo Demasio, author of the most recent Bill Parcells Biography “Parcells: A Football Life”. http://www.matthewmcqueeny.com/2016/09/187-nunyo-demasio.html (also referenced in Sections III & XIII of this post). Matthew he has also had other tremendous guests from Jonathan Abrams the Author of “Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution”- easily one of the best Basketball Books of the Decade, and one of my favorite reads of 2016. Matt has also had prolific sports writer Jeff Pearlman on his podcast, as well as Michael Days, Editor of the Philadelphia Daily News and author of “Obama’s Legacy: What He Accomplished as President” (released in September 2016).

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History http://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/. Carlin is a fascinating human-being who devotes a lot of time to creating a kick-ass product. Each time Carlin comes out with a series it’s like an audio book. So many topics he has covered. One minus with this podcast is that after one of this series has been for free on iTunes for some time (like a year or two) he charges you to download it. Obviously he’s pretty darn good if he can archive his stuff and charge you for accessing it. But, don’t worry if you are cheap and don’t want to buy there is hours and hours and hours of free content available.

Reliable Sources: Toobin Talking OJ (10 episode series) http://rss.cnn.com/services/podcasting/pvo/rss. When the people v. OJ Simpson American Crime Story came out in the spring of 2016, I actually did not want to watch it. I was still pissed that the OJ Care Chase bumped the Knicks v. Rockets 1994 Finals Game 5 off of the Television. But, my wife implored me to watch it, and I heard Cuba Gooding Jr. interviewed by Colin Cowherd, and I gave it a shot. Well, that became one of my favorite shows, where I ended up buying and reading Jeffrey Toobin’s book “The people v OJ” and I still needed more, so I found this podcast series which analyzed each of the 10 episode series of the American Crime Story.

IX. Political Podcasts:

Ezra Klein Show *AMONG MY TOP 5* https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ezra-klein-show. His podcast has taught me so much about policy and politics. He has gotten some really remarkable guests a number of whom I mentioned in this post from best-selling author Ta-Nehisi Coates, DEMOS the public policy group President Heather McGhee and Evelyn Farkas the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Obama administration (2012-2015) for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia ( guests & links also referenced in Sections III, IV, XIII & XIV).

Ezra Klein also co-hosts “The Weeds” *AMONG MY TOP 5*. https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/voxs-the-weeds which goes even deeper into policy with Sarah Kliff and Matthew Yglesias two of the feature writers on www.vox.com. One of my favorite episodes they ever done by them was when Ezra and Sarah interviewed President Obama on the State of “Obama-Care” just a few short weeks before Obama left office. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7eqoL18zwg. (Also referenced in Section III & XIII).

David Axelrod http://rss.cnn.com/services/podcasting/axe/rss. The former Chief Strategist for President Obama has a really tremendous podcast. One that I can’t always keep up with, but he brings out such prolific guests from both sides of the aisle, along with some notable sports figures who dabble in politics too. I loved his episode with Bill Walton as well and enjoyed his episode with George W. Bush Master-Mind “Karl Rove”. There’s also the episode with Jon Stewart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da5VYSPsoE0, which is also referenced in Sections III and XIV.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/tag/politics-podcast/ Nate Silver and company’s podcast. Really good stuff here. I was listening to this podcast religiously prior to the 2016 election. I learned a lot from these guys here, but given so much audio content out there, unfortunately I no longer subscribe to this or Pod Save America.

“Duncd on Podcast” https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/duncd-on-basketball. I really enjoyed the breakdown during last year’s 2016 NBA playoffs. These guys geek out on Pro Basketball big time, and cover so much. I don’t listen to it too much anymore however, but maybe I’ll check out some of their episodes when the playoffs roll around again.

Jalen and Jacoby http://www.espn.com/espnradio/podcast/archive/_/id/9545077. I enjoyed this one for a bit. They got so big they have become a nationally syndicated radio show that comes on daily. If you want a fresh take on all things sports, with cool pop-culture references, this is a show for you.

“Neuroscientists still have a great deal to learn about the human brain. One recent MRI study sheds some light, finding that a certain kind of storytelling stimulates enormous activity across broad swaths of the brain. The takeaway is obvious: you should be listening to even more podcasts” – Stephen Dubner. http://freakonomics.com/podcast/this-is-your-brain-on-podcasts/

1- https://soundcloud.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/ep-174-kevin-durant . Already lauded as one of the best podcast episodes of the past number of years, it was remarkable! It turned me back into a Kevin Durant fan (kind of) after he left the OKC Thunder unceremoniously to go to the Golden State Warriors. Durant’s honesty and candidness was awesome! One big take-away for me was when Durant said that going from having nothing to being a millionaire at 19, was quite the adjustment. I mean “DUH!!” But how many celebrities actually admit to this?

2- http://tim.blog/2015/12/06/jamie-foxx/ . Tim Ferriss calls this one his “The Sugar pill” episode. He’s right. If I want to hook someone on Ferriss, I suggest this one. Jaime Foxx is an amazing interview, and Ferriss is among the best interviewers out there. (Need I say more?)

3- http://tim.blog/2016/05/22/sebastian-junger/ . If you have ever done any type of over-seas service (be it military and/or peace corps), I can’t recommend this episode highly enough. Junger talks at length about America’s need to re-establish community and help heal our brave military veterans after they come back from combat.

4- http://tim.blog/2015/08/18/the-evolutionary-angel-naval-ravikant/ . An episode for all of you book-lovers out there! This episode was the first time I heard about “Sapiens” or “Influence”, two books I got instantly off of Amazon after hearing this interview. I felt like I was in the most fascinating history lecture in college, but it was better than that!

8- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw2myvtbISw. Colin Cowherd would be a political pundit if he wasn’t a sports-caster. He always has an interesting take. And the first 10 minutes of his show talking about the (tragic) election results of 2016, was about as good as he gets!

9- http://www.matthewmcqueeny.com/2016/09/187-nunyo-demasio.html. What’s it like for a previously obscure sports-writer to land the book-deal of a lifetime? Or how about how a once obscure basketball staffer for the NJ Nets can say something innocuous and off-hand, and sports journalists will laud it as “insider information”. This episode has that and so much more!!

11- http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/09-generous-orthodoxy . Generous Orthodoxy is when a Christian Pastor conducts the wedding for his gay son because the love he has for his son means more to him than any biblical text or any amount of shame his “former” congregation can throw at him. Incredibly profound episode!

2- http://podbay.fm/show/360084272/e/1476411225?autostart=1. Did you know Jesse Ventura had a beef with the American Sniper guy? I didn’t either. For that alone it was worth the listen. Aside from the fact that Ventura is in favor of legalizing marijuana or that he’s just a thoughtful and engaging guy.

7- http://tim.blog/2016/12/13/ezra-klein/. I loved this episode for the fact that Tim Ferriss was getting a tutorial by Ezra Klein in Political Science 101. I appreciated Ferriss’s candidness in admitting not only his ignorance, but his incredibly strong aversion to politics.

All in all I mentioned 39 podcasts in this piece. I currently subscribe to 17 of the 39 podcasts mentioned (and have a select few episodes from 3 other podcasts). I cannot even keep up with all of the ones I’m subscribed to, but I enjoy them coming up anew when I download episodes (almost like a FB newsfeed). I hope this piece provided some insight for you in regards to what podcasts you might want to delve into or even just check out.

Thanks for reading!

-JPJ

If you are enjoying these posts and you are continuing to read them, then please subscribe to this blog, all you have to do is hit the “Follow” link, and you can follow me/subscribed to this!

]]>https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/02/28/encyclopedia-of-the-podcasts-i-have-listened-to/feed/3listen-to-podcastsjoshoffthepresspodcasts-purplebill-simmons-with-hofers-behind-himsuper-human-tfjocko-willinkdc-eyes2-dope-queensmy-podcast-listCarmelo Anthony – The Anchor that sunk Phil Jackson’s Ship?? (+NBA Talk+) https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/02/13/carmelo-anthony-the-anchor-that-sunk-phil-jacksons-ship-nba-talk/
https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/02/13/carmelo-anthony-the-anchor-that-sunk-phil-jacksons-ship-nba-talk/#commentsMon, 13 Feb 2017 02:25:36 +0000http://joshoffthepress.com/?p=327Continue reading →]]>+This is my first original sports piece on Joshoffthepress. If you’d like me to continue to explore topics related to sports (especially if you like this piece), please leave a comment in the section below, or somehow give me feedback where I know to develop more stories like this one+

I recently re-released my book review of Peter Richmond’s Biography on Phil Jackson “Lord of the Rings”.

The review captured Jackson’s career from his playing days all the way through his Coaching Career up until 2011. Richmond speculated what was next for Jackson, even hinting at a Knicks reunion, but man – I don’t think he nor anybody else for that matter could have predicted the “Dumpster Fire” that *Phil Jackson has helped oversee in NY. Under Jackson’s stewardship of the Knicks, they are on pace to miss the playoffs for the 4th straight year (the first of which he can’t be held accountable for since he arrived on the scene so late). There have been plenty of mistakes to go around, here, and this piece is going to explore some of them.

*Phil Jackson is the President of Basketball Operations for the NY Knicks and has been since March 18th, 2014. As of this publication, The Knicks are currently 22-33 in the 2016-2017 Season.

For the record – I am not doing the mistakes strictly chronologically. They are lumped together based on relevance. If for some reason some of these mistakes listed don’t seem to fit, feel free to write in the comments section and let me know what you’d do differently. All feedback is welcome!

Phil Jackson’s 1st Big Mistake: Getting in Bed with James Dolan

James Dolan is the CEO of Cablevision and the Executive Chairman of The Madison Square Garden Company IE the Owner of the Knicks and the Rangers in Hockey. While most Americans don’t care enough about Hockey, that team has been saved from the stink of Dolan, but not the Knicks. Now Jackson has the stink over himself, too.

A Brief history of James Dolan’s Tenure as the Owner of the Knicks:

James Dolan has ostensibly been the CEO of the Knicks since 1999, coming at a time when the team was still really good and really relevant. The team was coached by Pat Riley disciple – Jeff Van Gundy, and in those first three Seasons (1999-2001) that Dolan was Owner and Van Gundy was Coach, the team went 125-89 and made the playoffs all 3 years winning 5 series and making the finals once. (*1999 was only a 50 game season due to the Owners’ Lockout). In the almost 16 ( VERY LOOONG) Seasons since Van Gundy left the Knicks early on in the 2001-02 Season, the Knicks to date have gone a collective 520-750, and are on pace to miss the playoffs for the 12th time in the past 16 Seasons. Oh and for the record, Knicks have only won 1 playoff Series since the 1999-2000 Season. http://www.landofbasketball.com/teams/records_new_york_knicks.htm.

Aside from the horrible record, and given Dolan’s targeting of Charles Oakley* (to put it incredibly kindly), James Dolan has a reputation for being somewhat hostile to the media, as well as those that work for him and with him; Unless he loves you (for example Isiah Thomas^) or holds you in high regard (for example Phil Jackson). Either way, this first mistake Jackson made, maybe wasn’t such a mistake after-all. I mean he was given this $60 million 5 year contract, with the freedom to treat this job like it was part-time, which based on the results, seems like he has. There is a possibility Phil is gone after this Season since there is an opt-out after his 3rd year, by one or both parties. We shall see.

^For more on James Dolan and his special relationship with Isiah Thomas and the over-all dysfunction surrounding this organization, Google: James Dolan, Isiah Thomas Sexual Assault Case. To make it easier I’ll give you a jump start with a link to an illuminating article on the whole matter, right here. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/sports/basketball/03garden-cnd.html .

*If you want more current news with how great of a guy “JAMES DOLAN ISN’T” just take a look at how Dolan has treated one of the most beloved Knicks ever. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/timeline-charles-oakley-james-dolan-feud-article-1.2968878 . From an outsider’s perspective, one that knows very little about the history of the Knicks Dolan looks like he racially profiled Charles Oakley at the Knicks game at the Garden on Wednesday 02/08/2017. And even people in the know, could make a very convincing case that Dolan’s handling of Oakley comes off as racist.

Phil Jackson’s Second Major Mistake: Hiring Derek Fisher to be the Head Coach

Well, he hired Fisher as the Coach, literally having Derek retire from playing sooner than he probably planned, and then fired Fisher half-way through his second season. I mean, Fisher was…well, I suggest you just google Derek Fisher and Matt Barnes if you don’t already know about all the drama. But, maybe this plays into Mistake #1, since Phil seemed to have a decent shot at hiring Steve Kerr as the Coach, until Dolan seemed to mettle in the affairs there. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2067962-report-james-dolan-sabotaged-phil-jackson-hiring-steve-kerr.

*A “No Trade Clause” is where a player signs a contract and in it is a stipulation that the player will play for the team he signed for, through the duration of his contract, and he will not be traded to any team under any circumstances, unless he asks to and/or he grants permission to be traded to a certain team*.

Before we go further, let us just look back at a handful of the notable/hall of fame players Jackson has coached in the League or that have been closely affiliated with Jackson while he has been a Team Executive.

Michael Jordan – 6 Titles (all with Jackson as the Coach)

Kobe Bryant – 5 Titles (all with Jackson as the Coach)

Shaquille O’Neal – 4 Titles (3 with Jackson as the Coach)

Scottie Pippen – 6 Titles (all with Jackson as the Coach)

Dennis Rodman – 5 Titles (3 with Jackson as the Coach)

Robert Horry – 7 Titles (3 with Jackson as the Coach)

Carmelo Anthony – 0 titles

As you can see 6 out of 7 players I just listed all have 4 or more titles in their career.

3 of the players won all their titles with Phil as Coach, 2 of the other ones won the majority of their titles with Phil, 1 of them (who should be in the hall of fame even though he isn’t) won 3 out of 7 of his titles with Phil. 1 of these guys on the list (who still plays in the League), has no titles, as of yet. (Will he ever??). The question you should be asking if you haven’t already is “WHY?!” as in “Why the heck did Phil Jackson sign Carmelo Anthony to that lucrative contract, and attach a no-trade-clause in it?” Anyhow, hold that thought, we will get back to the title-less player on the list of Jackson’s notables’ again.

I still don’t understand this. (Including the 4th mistake) Phil Jackson, essentially gave away 3/5ths of the Knicks starting lineup, FOR WHAT?!

Phil Jackson’s Sixth Mistake: Giving Melo a “No Trade Clause”

This really is coming back to bite Jackson in the butt, Hence why I have listed this mistake twice! Jackson and Melo are feuding, and I find Melo a *ball and chain* causing Jackson to drown. Phil Jackson, the man who has 11 Championships as a Coach, is now closely affiliated with Carmelo Anthony, a man who has 3 playoff series wins in his whole 14 year career in the NBA. Read that again 3 Playoffs Series Victories IN HIS WHOLE CAREER!!!! And that is the player that deserves a “No Trade” Clause??? HUH!? This is now a race to the bottom. Melo’s Agent is trying to make him look more desirable, and there is a major PR Campaign being waged where even Spike Lee is weighing in saying he wants Jackson out!

*I know the Knicks just beat the Spurs (the team with the 2nd best record in the league to date) and as of this publication Melo is now #25 on the all-time scorers list in NBA history, still doesn’t take away from my sentiments*.

This is a very frustrating team to watch. You’d think the pieces would fit better. Jeff Hornacek seems like a competent Coach. Derrick Rose shows occasional flashes of brilliance on the court, and Kristof Porzingis!!! Thank goodness for this young talented player, one can only pray that he stays healthy and has a long prosperous career (on the Knicks of course!) and that he doesn’t get too screwed up by this current state of dysfunction on the team. Bottom line is, after having an A+ Coaching Career, Jackson gets a D+ as an Executive. I’m being extra generous with him, since he did draft Kristaps Porzingis with the 4th pick in the 2015 Draft, and he has managed to entertain fans with his tweets and his over-all Zen like Zany ways. However, I should probably dock Jackson for his Micro-Aggressions against LeBron James.

Not because it’s LeBron James, but because it’s messed up in general for Jackson to talk like that and it comes off as racist and out of touch. Like, where heck are you Phil!? You have been Coaching young African American Men for a long time, and you say some crazy *ish like that?! (SMH).

Also, the fact that Jackson kind of lucked out on Porzingis picking him 4th in the 2015 NBA Draft. I mean, if the Knicks had the 2nd or 3rd pick, they probably would have picked the wrong player, considering everyone “NOW” knows Porzingis is the 2nd best player to come out of that draft class. But, nobody knew this at the time! You need some dumb-luck in these things. If I’m going to dump on Phil for his mistakes, I got to at least give him credit for getting some things right, regardless of the circumstances. As for whether Phil Jackson can improve upon his grade, I really don’t know. I haven’t come across too many optimists either, when it comes to Phil and his current position. It’s been tough being a Knicks fan, but hopefully one day (in the not too crazy distant future) it will all be worth it!

-JPJ

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]]>https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/02/13/carmelo-anthony-the-anchor-that-sunk-phil-jacksons-ship-nba-talk/feed/4melo-and-philjoshoffthepressspike-lee-backing-up-melophil-jackson-vs-lebron-jamesnba-world-championsPersonal Review of Peter Richmond’s Biography on “Phil Jackson: Lord of The Rings” (originally published 02/09/2014) +NBA Talk+ https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/02/10/personal-review-of-peter-richmonds-biography-on-phil-jackson-lord-of-the-rings-originally-published-02092014-nba-talk/
https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/02/10/personal-review-of-peter-richmonds-biography-on-phil-jackson-lord-of-the-rings-originally-published-02092014-nba-talk/#commentsFri, 10 Feb 2017 23:17:33 +0000http://joshoffthepress.com/?p=281Continue reading →]]>This post was originally published on February 9th 2014 on https://kinja.com/joshoffthepressdotcom. It has been re-published (and slightly edited) to be read and housed on this platform/site.

Peter Richmond’s, Biography on Phil Jackson “Lord of the Rings” is a welcome book for all NBA lovers and lovers of Coach Phil Jackson and his philosophy on basketball and more importantly life. I have grown up as a life-long Knicks fan following them closely ever since I was an eleven year old boy (during the 1992-93 season). Yet I have also fallen in love with Phil Jackson’s leadership and basketball prowess. I have always been intrigued by the mystique of Phil Jackson. How he seemed to always get the best out of his players and get under the skin of his opposing Coaches; Like when former Knicks Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy, poked fun at Phil Jackson calling him “The Big Chief Triangle”. I remember Michael Jordan in interviews sharing about Jackson’s love of Zen Buddhism.

I took this book out of the library and devoured it in a matter of days. I read it with a critical eye, and truth be told, I was a bit surprised by some of Richmond’s unforced errors, and poor recordings of the history of the NBA. Two of the books Richmond referenced, David Halberstam’s “Playing for Keeps” referenced on p.155, and Bill Simmons “The Book of Basketball”, referenced on p.203, actually contradicts some of the various anecdotes and facts on playoff series that Richmond recorded. He didn’t seem to take full advantage of these two great sources, and double check his memory of things up against theirs.

It is on page 213 where I found one of the two “Biggest” unforced errors of Richmond’s whole book. It was, at this point where I became a “fact checker” of the book, and started researching many of Richmond’s facts of what happened in the NBA, against the facts that I found.

“Indiana proved more challenging, and not only because Rodman, now losing interest, spent parts of the third game riding an exercise bike in the locker room and had to be summoned when Phil wanted to use him….They took the Pacers in six, but the aura was ugly. All that remained was three-peat number two”. Richmond (p.213).

Actually the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals between the Bulls and the Pacers went the full seven games. And no Game was decided by more than 9 points; with the average point differential of every game being only 4.2.

This was probably the most exciting (and possibly the toughest) Bulls Series out of all the series the Bulls played during their Six Championship Seasons.

The only other Series that went the full 7 Games, during Michael Jordan’s and Phil Jackson’s Six Championship Seasons, was the 1992 Eastern Conference Semi Finals vs. the Knicks. http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1992_ECS.html#CHI-NYK. (This series wasn’t as close as the “Bulls v. Pacers” Series. Game 6 was a blow out win for the Knicks Game 7 was a blow out win for the Bulls). Here’s the excerpt of Richmond’s book, where Halberstam’s being referenced. This quote captures the very moments after the Bulls Game 7 Loss to the Pistons in the 1990 ECF (93-74).

“Krause came into the locker room and yelled at the team. This would be the first chink in the relationship between the coach and the GM, the thin edge of the wedge that, six rings later, would end Phil’s Bulls career. Jordan sat in the back of the bus, with his father, and cried. According to the late David Halberstam’s book on Jordan “Playing for Keeps”, he was particularly disappointed in Pippen. Halberstam didn’t mention that Pippen’s father had died earlier in the playoffs”. Richmond (p.155).

So Halberstam missed sharing that fact. Did it poorly impact his book? No, not really. Halberstam’s book on Michael Jordan and the Bulls is (in my personal view) the Gold Standard, to which all sports writers should aspire for. If you are going to pick on a section of Halberstam’s book in your very own book…I think it’s a good idea that yours is factually up to par.

And that Bulls v Pacers Series in 1998 was Epic.

“In game six, the pacers again used their bench as the key to victory….The Bulls kept it close, but in the end were not able to contain Best, and lost 92-89. They were headed for Game 7, and it was clear, as Phil Jackson said later, that this was the toughest series the Bulls had ever faced in their championship years. ONE FOR THE AGED, read the banner headline in the Trib before the game…The Bulls were lucky to have home-court advantage” – Playing for Keeps -David Halberstam (p.379).

Once I uncovered one or two very big historical inaccuracies in the book, it had me want to shine a light on all the other smaller historical inaccuracies. Here are a few more misrepresentations I caught, that Peter Richmond failed to correct, upon his final editing of this book. “As former NBA commissioner David Stern described to me, the best analogy for the game he stewarded for three decades in jazz. ‘It needs structure, and then it needs a riff”’. Richmond (p. 103). The Copyright of Richmond’s Biography is 2013; it was released in (I believe late December 2013 if not early January 2014). Either way, I completed reading this book in January 2014, and David Stern did not retire until February 1, 2014. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/01/31/retiring-nba-commissioner-david-stern-leaves-a-lasting-legacy/.

In a Game played against the Sixers in Chicago Stadium during the 1989-90 season (Phil Jackson’s first season as Head Coach), Richmond make the claim that this was Barkley’s MVP year. “The Barn was packed to the rafters for a Saturday night showdown. The cocky, first-place Sixers were in town, coached by Whinin’ Jimmy Lynam, led by Charles Barkley, en route to league MVP that year”. Richmond (p.151).

This was the year Charles Barkley got the most first place votes but still lost the MVP to Magic Johnson.

Charles Barkley not winning the MVP this year is also recorded in Bill Simmons Book of Basketball ‘Most Valuable Chapter’: “If you ever run into Charles Barkley for any social reason- at a blackjack table, boxing match, Gambler’s Anonymous, wherever-bring up the 1990 MVP race and watch him go. Here’s what he’ll say: “I had the most first-place votes! That’s the only time that ever happened!”” The Book of Basketball – Bill Simmons (p.253). And here is Richmond’s quote about Simmons; “lets veer away from pure numbers and turn to the expert, eternal chronicler Bill Simmons” Richmond (p.203). That quote is mostly there to display that Richmond did not fully utilize “the expert, eternal chronicler”.

Barkley did win the MVP award on time and that was for the 1992-93 season, his first one with the Phoenix Suns. http://www.nba.com/history/players/barkley_bio.html .

Regarding Horace Grant’s criticism of Michael Jordan skipping out on the Bulls 1991 White House visit after a sports team wins a national championship. “Grant publicly scuffed: ‘it’s a double standard, and it’s been a double standard for four years that I’ve played here’. Jordan wasn’t happy. Horace lasted one more year in Chicago”. Richmond (p.163). Actually Horace Grant played in Chicago through the 1993-94 Season. Richmond even wrote about Horace Grant twenty pages later, him being on the Bulls during the famous (Jordan-less) 1994 playoff series against the Knicks, where on an off-day Jackson lead his team on an NYC Ferry ride. “Horace Grant learned that the Statue of Liberty was a woman” Richmond (p.185).

“Paul Westphal replaced Fittzsimmons, who’d been jettisoned despite a 59 victory season for losing the blazers in the Western Semis the year before”. Richmond (p.177). Phoenix Suns actually won 53 games in 1991-92 Season;

On page.138, Richmond says that Charles Oakley being traded from the Bulls for the Knicks for Bill Cartwright was bad for the Knicks. I don’t buy that for a minute. Oakley embodied the in your face toughness of the 1990s Knicks teams. Oakley (along with John Starks) was Patrick Ewing’s main side-kick. And Cartwright was a Center. Ewing was already manning the middle, so there was no need for Cartwright. The main reason why the Knicks never won a Championship during those years wasn’t because Cartwright wasn’t on the Knicks it was because Michael Jordan wasn’t on the Knicks.

Richmond’s transition to writing about Jackson’s Lakers years is equally not always historically precise or 100% accurate. In fact there was another huge unforced error on Richmond’s part in chronicling one of the most famous series in NBA History. Lakers v. Kings Western Conference Finals 2002: Just check the stats for who had the better regular season record, and consequently who had home-court advantage. http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2002.html. “Game 6 was in Arco” Richmond (p.252). Wrong! Game 6 was in Staples.

“That night, they went to the stripe 34 times, including 17 trips for Shaq and 11 for Kobe. L.A. took 18 foul shots in the fourth quarter alone”. Richmond (p.252). Wrong again; Wikipedia is not all that bad of a reference point, especially when it is historically accurate.

“The Lakers won Game 6 106-102, attempting 18 more free throws than the Kings in the fourth quarter, and went on to win the 2002 NBA Finals. The referees weren’t named, but the Western Conference Finals was the only 7-game series that year”… The Lakers shot 40 free throws overall, 27 in the 4th quarter alone. They didn’t win the next night either, back in Staples” Richmond (p.253).

While, I don’t think Richmond missed as many of the subtle story-lines of Jackson Coaching the Lakers compared to his Bulls years, he does leave something to be desired for your hard-core basketball junkie. In Ch.22, Richmond talks about how Phil Jackson recruited some old veteran players to help steer the Lakers ship during Phil Jackson’s famous first act.

In Ch.29: Richmond talks of the Celtics losing in the Eastern Conference Semi Finals to Orlando, in six games, without an injured Kevin Garnett (who was out for the playoffs). Or without even mentioning how the Celtics were exhausted by a gritty Bulls Team who took them the full 7 Games in Round 1. (The best 7 Game first round series I can remember). “The legit Van Gundy’s, unknowns seemed to be on a mission of their own. Rivers had been outcoached”. Richmond (p.294).

I don’t think Rivers was out-coached. Orlando caught lightening in a bottle that year, being able to make all those 3s throughout the playoffs, and having the uber-athletic Dwight Howard, who by the way won his first of three straight defensive Player of the year awards that year. (Howard was also the youngest player to ever win that award, too). http://www.nba.com/history/awards_defensiveplayer.html

I think Peter Richmond’s investigative in the moment reporting seems quite good, even if his referring back to certain historical archives of famous games and moments in the NBA is not as good. One of the most beneficial things I got out of the book was a whole new treasure chest of references in regards to the whole Michael Jordan gambling scandal, and his father’s tragic murder (Chapter 16). And Richmond seems to have investigated the Kobe Rape Scandal, like he was one of the original writers on the beat. Which, to a great extent he was. http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/10790511/fall-kobe.

The proximity of Phil Jackson’s former home in Woodstock, NY to Richmond’s home-town, Millerton, NY (only about an hour drive apart) seems to have allowed him to really make use of sources in Phil Jackson’s early part of his career (playing and coaching), and his connections to the local community. In a lot of ways, Richmond’s reporting of Jackson’s earlier life was the best part of the book. I give him credit for having a very deep knowledge of the NY Knicks teams Coached by Red Holzman (Champions in 70, and 73). But, too often Richmond strikes me as one of these Baby Boomer New Yorkers, who once the Knicks stopped winning, he stopped paying close attention to the NBA.

Overall, I give this book a C+. If Richmond better chronicled the two series I went into depth discussing, along with all those other errors, I’d probably bring his grade up to a solid B. I would have liked to have seen Richmond talk to some more sources. John Salley and Charlie Rosen are well in good, but it seemed like Richmond had better access to former Bulls GM Jerry Krause, and he didn’t fully take advantage of that. Nor did Richmond seem to speak to many Chicago Bulls or L.A. Lakers Beat writers. I still appreciate the book for what it was, and I am appreciative to Peter Richmond for embarking on writing a Biography about Phil Jackson.